House of Representatives Committees

Each year the Parliament is presented with hundreds of documents, including the annual reports of Commonwealth Departments and agencies. These documents are a vital accountability mechanism, providing the Parliament with an opportunity to scrutinise the activities of government.

The Joint Publications Committee is responsible for preparing the printing standards for documents presented to Parliament. These standards aim to ensure that agencies obtain value for money in procuring services to publish and print documents.

On 1 March 2007, the Committee resolved to conduct an inquiry into issues relating to the printing standards, with a view to ensuring that the standards are being adhered to. A discussion paper, which outlines several issues relating to the inquiry, has been prepared for circulation to stakeholders and other interested organisations and individuals.

The Committee invites interested persons and organisations to make submissions addressing the terms of reference by Friday 4 May 2007. Please refer to our brochure called preparing a submission for more information.